Gŵyl Tyddyn a Gardd 2010 brysur iawn
Sanna Burns takes a look at this hive of activity
The 2010 Smallholders and Garden Festival weekend, was, for a change dry and mild, and this clearly had a positive impact on both show-goers and bees, who came out in their droves. From early on Saturday morning, the place was literally buzzing: Swansea and District Beekeepers Association had unfurled and erected its new tented complex ready to educate and entertain visitors with bee visits throughout the weekend: Members of the Public were invited to dress in bee suits and Wellington boots, and enter (via an ‘airlock’) a netted ‘bee-proof’ tent containing a hive, where an experienced beekeeper would demonstrate how to look through a hive and interpret its internal workings. The lifecycle of the bee and their different roles within the hive, as well as the all-important production and storage of honey were all covered. Certificates were awarded to all those stout enough of heart who chose to sample this unique experience, and once again younger visitors proved especially keen to drag their parents in to see ‘what happens inside a hive’.
Up on the balcony of the Floral Hall, the Welsh Beekeepers Association (WBKA) manned their stand which featured the usual observation hive, and a full complement of experienced beekeepers ready willing and able to impart information advice and the benefit of their years of experience to all-comers. Though there was plenty of information in the form of leaflets and booklets, and lots of colour photos on display, it must be said that the stand looked a little bare compared to past years. Happily however, lots of visitors stopped to spot the queen in the observation hive or have a chat with the volunteers, and there still looks to be a great deal of public interest in beekeeping, in spite of the fact that beekeeping, due to the relative scarcity of nucs (usually 5 frames of bees plus a queen), is no longer the relatively inexpensive hobby of years ago.
According to Wally Shaw, whose talk and slideshow entitled ‘The Art of Beekeeping’, attracted a full house in Speakers Corner, beginners, (because of the high possibility of seasonal losses), should ideally have 3 hives, now priced at between £120-£200 each, depending on the strength of colony and the supplier. Wally, the Secretary of Anglesey Beekeepers, who doubles up as the Technical Officer of the WBKA, was at pains to promote the role of local beekeeping Associations in acquiring strains of bee most suited to local conditions, rather than purchasing stock from less scrupulous sources.
Though clearly targeted at novices or people thinking about taking-up beekeeping, I saw a few old hands in the crowd, who, like me, had sat-in to glean new snippets of information from this very experienced and knowledgeable beekeeper. Emphasising the importance of the ‘read, learn, practice’ method of proficiency, Wally was keen to encourage his audience to access information on Beebase. For those of you who have never heard of this website, it is run by DEFRA, the government body which employs Bee Inspectors. Having never done this in my 6 years of beekeeping (shame on me), I felt duty-bound to check it out, and register. This proved very simple to do, and I was able to access lots information on diseases, medicines, and all the legislation surrounding processing and selling honey and other bee products. According to Wally, I will be able to access all previous Inspector’s reports on my apiary. I really can’t wait! For more information about Beebase, or to register as a beekeeper, please go to: https://secure.fera.defra.gov.uk/beebase/
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